Running

Really good, fun race for me today.  Last year I ran this race and finished in 1:24:23, so almost a minute faster.  I like this race.  It seems to be a pretty honest course  with a lot of rollers and a couple of good uphills.  Nothing like what I'm use to down here.  Splits:

5:52, 6:07, 6:27, 6:30, 6:11, 6:12, 6:22, 6:56, 6:47, 6:23, 6:12, 6:17, 6:14, 0:50.

I got a little feel for how things go with Jake, Fritz, Allie, and all the other really fast people because I was actually racing for placement today as opposed to just racing the clock.  It was fun and I was glad all the really fast people were running the full or stayed away.

Right from the start the tall guy, gray shirt guy, and Rob M. are all ahead of me.  With me is one other guy with sunglasses, but he would fall back on the uphill stretches and I eventually would pull away for a bit (he came back though).  Rob was in my sights up through about mile 6 or 7 and I watched him pass the gray shirt guy, who seemed to be coming back to me as well.  I eventually caught and passed him around mile 7 or so.  I got into a pretty good groove those first few miles and was feeling good up until around 8 or 9.  I eventually start walking through the aid stations and right after the big hill that goes under the freeway (around mile 9) the sunglasses guy catches me.  Now it's a race for 3rd (Rob is long gone and he's obviously not coming back).  I don't know what to do in these situations cause I've never been here before.  This guy really saved my race cause he and I began to clip along shoulder to shoulder for the next bit and I started feeling better.  Around 10.5 I gapped the guy a bit.  I wasn't sure if I should do this or not, but I was feeling good.  Now I'm running scared cause I'm sure he's just ready to pounce on me if I slow even a bit.  

At this point in time we are battling the 5k people, which I actually enjoyed.  It was nice to have people all along the way and I generally didn't have to do much swerving.  Every so often, the 5k people or some spectators would cheer me along and moments later I would hear them cheer for the guy right behind me.  I want to look to see where he is, but just figure I will keep running scared.  With about .75 left we make a left turn and I got a look back and see I've got about a 4-5 second lead.  One more left hand turn and I glance back and the distance is about the same.  Now it's just a long straight away for the last .25 or so.  I thought for sure this guy was going to come flying by me, but he never does and I eventually finish about 7 seconds ahead of him.  He really did push me to a lot faster time.  He mentioned that when he saw me stop at the aid stations he thought he get by me eventually.

Waited around for my bro. who finished just under 1:30:00 and then waited around a bit for the awards, but decided we would rather get home rather than keep waiting and waiting.  I'm really happy with this race.  The fact that I ran this a minute slower last year, and was able to run TOU last year just under three hours gives me some confidence that perhaps this year I can run several minutes under three at STG.  And my legs feel pretty good right now since I didn't run straight down a mountain like I usually do for my half marathons.  

11.0 in 1:31:59 (8:22).  Slow run in Tooele cause I'm visiting my parents.  Left around 5:50 AM and went up Smelter Rd and then up Droubay and wandered around a bit.  A few tight spots in my knees and feet, but other than that, I feel good.

6.0 no watch up 300 W. and back.

PM CF

6.0 no watch with Mark.  Went west on 700 S. out to the JRP and back.

PM CF 

5.0 no watch with Mark up Center St. and back.

3.0 no watch and easy.  Running the Mid-Mountain Marathon tomorrow in Park City.

I was planning on running around 22 miles in prep for STG today, so I figured I might as well run this marathon.  I ran it in 2009 (3:36:45) and 2008 (3:48:00) and it is a nice change of pace and is actually a pretty cool race...........but I always forget how brutal it is on me.  I suspect the distance is somewhere in the neighborhood of 26.2, but maybe a bit short......but it felt like it was 30 miles today.

Race starts at Silver Lake Lodge at Deer Valley Resort and runs the Mid-Mountain trail all through the Park City Ski Resort and back into some pretty big country and then finishes at The Canyons.  I am not a trail runner. This is the only race that I ever run on a trail.  The rocky terrain, combined with the relentless climbing, and the high altitude just kill me.  I believe the race pretty much takes place between 7,000-8,500 feet.  I needed an oxygen tank on all the uphill sections.

Race started and within 15-20 min I was all alone.  I stopped for a bathroom break about 20 min in and one guy caught up, but I eventually pulled away from him.  I didn't wear a Garmin, and the course had some random mile markers, but who knows if they were accurate.  Legs had trouble on the beginning part of the course and I was sucking wind pretty bad on the first climb, which lasted for about the first 4-5 miles.  Hit the cours 5 mile mark at 40:40.  Split at 10 miles was 1:26:41 and it seemed like we climbed a lot in here and I struggled.  Got some good downhill the next five miles and hit the 15 mile mark at 2:01:33, but I'm starting to have some problems.  I've never carried liquids on this run (I might be the only one) and I've never had trouble in this race in the past, but it seemed like we went forever without an aid station and I was in need of fluids.  Seems like the aid station was right around the 16 mile mark and I stopped and tried to hydrate good.  2 guys caught me here and I let them pass.  I was right on them, but then everything I just drank, as well as the GU I just ate just came right back up.  This was a recurring theme over the next 6-7 miles.  I just couldn't keep anything in me and the sections where the sun were in full force just made things worse.

Right around mile 15 through 20 is the worse part of this race.  It's a pretty big climb, but once you get through it you get some good downhill.  Struggled through this part, but right at the top of the worst hill of the race (just after mile 20) I caught up to a guy.  I eventually passed him and got booking it pretty good on the downhill.  Still felt real crappy, but was able to keep a good pace on the downhill.  Several people started coming back to me. Somewhere in the last 4-5 miles I took a rough fall.  There was a guy right in front of me and one right behind.  The fall hurt.  Two guys that I passed with about 2 miles left passed me back at the last aid station with about a mile left.  I was done and was so glad to see the finish line.  The course changed a bit from the previous years I ran it, but it still is hard.  I forget how hard it is.  Lots of respect for these trail guys.  Some of them are like mountain goats.  I'm sure they just fly on the up and down parts of this race.

Hopefully the damage is minimal from this race.  It sure does beat me up.  If nothing else, I got some good miles in on hilly terrain at some high altitude.  I guess a good thing is that this is the worst I've felt at this race, but I still finished a few minutes ahead previous times. Would highly recommend this race if your looking for some good trail running with some incredible views.  The race is very well put together as well. 

3 mile run/walk.  Hips and butt are pretty sore from Saturday.  Everything else is just a bit tight and I'm tired.

5 slow miles on the TM in Bozeman. 

6.20 at around 9 min mile pace in Bozeman.  I had to wear a long sleeve shirt as well as a beanie and gloves.  Ran up around the university campus and back to the hotel.  Not super sore in any one place, but my body just doesn't want to go fast.

PM CF 1 mile during the workout. 

7.0 in 57:18 (8:11).  Ran in the evening.  Started at the jr. high and went towards Willow Park and then north on the JRP and then back.

6.0 no watch.  Up to 300 West and back.

6.0 no watch.  Up to 300 West and back.  First 2 with Mark.

PM CF 

20.40 in 2:37:40 (7:44).  Started just before 6:00 AM at the movie theaters in the Riverwoods and ran up to the entrance of Big Springs.  Ran with Mark.  Legs were worn down by the end probably due to last Saturday's run.

CF 

8.0 no watch.  Up 300 West and back.

PM CF 

8.80 in 1:08:15 (7:45).  Up 300 West and back with Mark.  Picked the pace up quite a bit on the way back.

7.10 in 58:45 (8:17).  Up 300 West and back.  First 2.25 with Mark.

PM CF 

Mark and I have been wanting to run/hike Timp for quite a while now.  He's done it several times, in fact he just did it last week.  So, we both took work off today and went for it.  Started at Aspen Grove around 7:00 AM.  It was cold.  Ran as much as we could on the way up (we didn't run much) and then ran most of the way down.  It warmed up as we went along.  Made it up to the saddle which was about 6.5.  Took us just under 3 hours to get there, but we stopped and took quite a few pictures.  Way down was much funner and we also stopped quite a bit.  Overall, took us around 4 1/2 hours or so.  I don't really have much desire to get to the summit.  I don't do well with some of the steep, unsteady sections that we had to go up and down just to make it to the saddle.  Overall, I'm glad we did it.  Really cool view at the top and saw lots of cool scenery all along the way.  Ran two more miles down the main road once we got back to the car.

PM CF 1 mile during the WOD.  A bit sore from yesterday, so I didn't run in the morning.

20 in 2:35:08 (7:45).  Started at 5:30 AM with Mark at the movie theaters in the Riverwoods.  Ran 10 up and then back down.  Thursday's run/hike up Timp made things a bit rough.  Legs are dead, but I just need them to recover over the next two weeks.  Last long run before STG.

CF.  Nothing in the tank. 

5.0 no watch with Mark up Center St.  Slow and easy.  Probably will have a lot of runs like this this week.

PM CF 

5 miles no watch up Center St. with Mark.  Felt like we kept a pretty brisk pace.

PM CF 

8.0 in 1:02:32 (7:49).  Went from the jr. high out towards Willow Park and then wandered around the JRP for a bit in the evening.

5 miles no watch up Center St. and back with Mark.

5 miles no watch up Center St. and back.

13 in 1:36:56 (7:27).  Started at 6 AM with Mark and ran 6.5 up and then back down.  Miles 8-10 were 6:32, 6:22, 6:02 as I wanted to get a good push for a couple miles today.  Hopefully my body feels better next Saturday for the marathon than it did today.  Will cut way back this week to hopefully bring the legs back to 100% for next Saturday.

CF